COME TO THE TABLE
We have been examining Gods house – The tabernacle.
In our last few messages we have examined authentic worship God’s style by stepping through the gates of the Tabernacle and slowly making our way through Gods showroom of special designed furniture for his house of worship.
As we browse around the outer courtyard, We bowed at the altar of sacrifice and the brazen laver.
Now see yourself as a priest in the days of Moses. You have been ordained by God Himself and you have come to worship in the Tabernacle.
• You have entered into the only gate you can go through representing Jesus being the one and only way.
• So far, you have made sacrifices at the altar of sacrifice for the sins of the people –which is a foreshadow of Jesus shed blood or the worlds behalf
• You have washed at the Laver and ministered the Word of God and reflected upon your relationship with
God.
And as a priest we are keenly aware of the fact that our people are learning to sacrifice and they are learning submission to God. We are learning obedience and to honor the Lordship of God Almighty.
However we realize as priest –there is his separation of the out-court from the Holy place.
As priest in Moses day -- we know that spending time at the alter of sacrifice and washing out hands at the Laver is preparing us to enter into a deeper presence of our blessed Lord.
Now, we come to the Tabernacle itself. It’s a tent-like structure divided into two rooms. The first of those 2 rooms measures about 15 by 30 feet and it’s called the Holy Place.
As a priest you have now entered through the curtain into the first room of the Tabernacle. As we enter into the Holy Place we see 3 pieces of furniture.
• All three pieces of furniture has a significant sacred purpose. Each has been made according to the pattern
that Moses received on the mountain.
• There was the table of presence or shew bead, the lamp-stand and the altar of incense.
How would a priest in the day of Noah, ponder the significance of this table of show-bread as he worshiped his holy God?
CONSIDER THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TABLE:
EXODUS 25:23 -28 Then make a table of acacia wood 3 feet long, 1½ feet wide, and 2¼ feet high. 24 Overlay it with pure gold, and run a rib of gold around it. 25 Put a molding four inches wide around the edge of the top, and a gold ridge along the molding, all around. 26-27 Make four gold rings and put the rings at the outside corner of the four legs, close to the top; these are rings for the poles that will be used to carry the table. 28 Make the poles from acacia wood overlaid with gold.
As a priest you note that the Table, the lamp stand and the Altar of incense is all layered with Gold. Unlike the Outer-courts where the Laver and the Alter of sacrifice was layered in bronze.
• You are cognizant that so for all the furniture is made of acacia, the incorruptible wood, more durable than
oak. but not susceptible to the earth.
• You now understand how this is representative of Jesus and his humanity He had an earthly body but it
never saw corruption, for He never knew sin.
Now as we enter the HOLY PLACE we see the furniture is now garnished with layers of gold. The gold speaks of Jesus deity.
The bronze represents his judgment against sin and the need for sacrifice
The acacia wood represents Christ Humanity
The gold represents he is fully deity--God
PREPARINNG THE TABLE!
On the Sabbath day the priests would enter and place bread made specifically for the table.
• There were 12 fresh loaves placed on the plates of the table– symbolic of the tribes of Israel. They would
pour the sweet fragrance of frankincense upon that bread. They would eat that bread.
Here we learn about the fellowship and satisfaction found in knowing Jesus. It’s the place of sustenance, provision, and intimacy. It’s about salvation, security, and satisfaction in communing with our Lord. It is being in the presence of our God!
WHAT SPIRIUTAL MESSAGE DOES THE TABLE REPRESENT?
I see three real possibilities. In fact I believe the table of showbread could represent a combination of two or three realities.
I. TABLE REPRESENTS THE WORD OF GOD:
Matt 4:4 Jesus answered, "It is written: `Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
JOHN 6:48 "I am the bread of life.
JOHN 6:51 "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."
• In the church today this BREAD OF LIFE represents the Word of God. As we come into the presence of
God we do so based upon what God has spoken to us in His Word.
• We need to hear it daily and it has to remain fresh in our lives. Fresh baked bread makes you hungry! We
should enter into God’s presence hungry to know Him and ready to take the word He has given us.
The word of God is LIVING and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Heb. 4:12
You will know you are growing into the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, when there is a unquenchable, inexhaustible, hunger to know the father and His word.
David wrote: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Ps 119:105
II. THE TABLE IS A MEANS OF SALVATION:
When God invited you to be saved He was inviting you to feast at HIS table.
A parable in Mt. 22 was about the marriage of the King’s son, and all were invited to come, but those who were invited wouldn’t come...they made excuse and were too busy.
• The servants went out and compelled all to come in the highways and hedges. His table is big enough and
plentiful for all.
• Luke 22, Jesus said there’s a table in glory where we will eat and drink at the marriage supper of the Lamb.
• But to get a place at that table you first must come to the table of salvation and take of the bread of life.
III. THE TABLE IS GOD AND MANS MEANS OF INTIMATE COMMUNION:
• Only the priests were allowed to come to the table and prepare the setting. They were to come every
Sabbath and replace the bread and place 12 loaves on the table that represents the 12 tribes of Israel.
• You are a priest and you can come to the table.
• The twelve tribes represent the whole of all Christians who can come to the table in the presence of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
The Duke of Wellington remained to take communion at his church, a very poor old man went up to the opposite aisle, and reaching the Communion table, knelt down close by the side of the Duke. Immediately, tension and commotion interrupted the silence of the church. Someone came and touched the poor man on the shoulder, and whispered to him to move farther away, or to rise and wait until the Duke had received the bread and the wine.
But the eagle eye and the quick ear of the great commander Duke Wellington caught what was going on. . He clasped the old man’s hand and held him to prevent his rising; and in a reverential but distinct undertone, the Duke said, "Do not move; we are equal here." (
There is Intimacy at the table
• The outer courts enjoyed the rays of sunshine, the coming and going of people through the gates, outside
you could here the voices from the surrounding camp,the sound of sacrifice and the lowing of animals and
the smell burned flesh and blood,the crowds of people making there way through the outer courts
• In the Holy place it is dimly lit. The only light that which shines from the golden candle -- shimmers indirect
light over
the HOLY PLACE like a soft ray of light in a exquisite dining
establishment.
There’s something comforting about being here.
But there’s also something majestic… and even intimidating about this room. You sense that this is truly a “holy” place.
You are very conscious of the fact that the Ark of the Covenant is just behind the veil in the next room.
• The sound of stillness settles in and we know we are in the HOLY PLACE where we come to meet God at
the table.
• There is the smell of fresh bread, the oil from the table of incense fills the room and we are in a special
place.
There we come to the table. It is not that big. But you are a priest. You are in awe. You notice the 12 plates on the table and on the 12 plates are 12 loaves of unleavened bread –one loaf for each of the 12 tribes.
As priest in the 21st century we come to relish the thought that all Christians have access to God because we are the 12 tribes of Israel.
The term table of show bread in the Hebrew means bread of face. Here we are sitting at the table of God himself. We are in His presence.
We quietly respectfully, meditatively sit at the table. We forward to the saints a few thousand years later – There you are
You hear the words – Matthew 26:26-28 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins
• The Old Testament table of show bread is the New testament relationship with God.
• And just as the priest came on each Sabbath to place new bread on the table --we come each first day of
the week to break bread.
We commune with the lord in an intimate supper –The Lord’s Supper.
We now have a level of emotional love for Philippians 3:10-11 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection
Communion –intimacy with God by sharing in the sufferings of Jesus as his body was bent on the old rugged Cross and his blood dripped from the tree and poured … WE COME TO THE TABLE!
ARE YOU FEEBLE IN YOUR FAITH? Perhaps you need to get to the table?
Paul said the reason some are spiritually sick is because they have not been to the table and discerned the Lords body.
One time Jesus is confronting the sad sorry lukewarm passionless church in Laodicea that thought they were just find and did not need anything and Jesus challenges them in Revelation 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
Jesus is saying ---
• Here I am church. Here is am standing outside of my own Church.
• It is pitiful that in many churches Jesus can’t get in!
• Because you have not yet let me in – I will stand out here and knock. I want to have fellowship with you.
• If you will just open the door and meet me at the table!
In 1Corinthians 10 we’re told that when we take of communion:
“… is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.” I Corinthians 10:16b-17)
Someone from the outside camp meets us on the road and says, “hey priest why do you spend some much time at the table in the holy place of the tabernacle?”
You say, “my friend listen to the Lord.” You open up the scriptures and began in Isaiah 53:4-5 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering,yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
You say to the stranger, Sir, here is what happens when I come to the table….
• I may come to the table broken beat, battered, bewildered, baffled, belittled but Jesus bears my grief
• He takes something from us in his death and he brings something back to us in his life!
• We come to the table and leave satisfied.
He has replace our pain with his peace,
He has taken our grief for his grace,
He has extinguished our sorrow for His salvation,
He has taken our guilt to his cross and given us his gift of hope.
• We come to table and knowing he has taken away our transgressions, sins, anxieties, and sickness.
• I commune remember his heart was broken and bruised so mine could be healed. We come to the table to
remember
You tell the bystander – We come to the table to say thank you Lord.
• We come to the table to intimately praise Him.
• We come to the table for self- examination.
There is room at the table because there is room at the cross.
The Mother of Mary did not say hardly say a word at the cross
.
Lowry says: “I wonder if she realized then that those were the same fingers that had scooped out the oceans and formed the seas
• Mary probably counted those little toes– I wonder if she realized that those were the same feet that had
walked on streets of gold and had been worshiped by angels.
• Those little lips were the same lips that had spoken the world into existence.
• When Mary kissed her little baby, she wasn’t just kissing another baby — she was kissing the face of God.
• Thirty-three years later she’s standing on a hill¬side watching blood pour from His veins, from the side of
her own son… and she didn’t open her mouth.
• He wasn’t just a great prophet, He wasn’t just a great preacher, He wasn’t just a great teacher, He was the
virgin-born son of God.He was our Savior. And… He didn’t just die for us, He died for His own mother. The
baby boy she had delivered on that first Christ¬mas was now on a cross delivering her.” And he will deliver
you. THAT IS WHY WE COME TO THE TABLE!
